1. Field of the Invention:
The invention relates in general to panel joints, and more specifically to panel joints for joining two upstanding panel members tightly together with their front surfaces disposed in a common plane.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
In certain applications, wall panel members are required to be joined together to form a room or cubicle, with the joining hardware concealed. When the width of a wall exceeds a predetermined dimension, it is constructed of two or more in-line panels. The joints between the in-line panels must be tight, and they must remain tight during usage. The front surfaces of the in-line panels must be disposed in a common plane, and the composite wall must be flat without any bowing at the joint. Wall panels formed of wood or other non-metal panels, are relatively thick and heavy, and their surfaces may not be perfectly flat. The weight and non-flatness add to the problem of assembling panels with tight joints. Further, certain types of panels may vary slightly in thickness from panel to panel, which creates a very difficult joining problem as the slightest deviation in panel thickness is noticeable when two panels are joined in-line with concealed hardware.
It would thus be desirable to provide new and improved panel joints for relatively large, heavy panels which enable the panels to be quickly and tightly joined in-line with the desired orientation of the front panel surfaces in a common plane. It would further be desirable to remove or reduce any bow or out-of-flatness condition of the panel members, especially at the critical joint area, without increasing assembly time. Still further, it would be desirable to provide a new and improved panel joint which will quickly enable the assembler to compensate for a difference in thickness of the panels to be joined.